USWNT vs. Argentina score: Surprise Naomi Girma brace lifts USA soccer to another friendly victory

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The U.S. women's national team wrapped up their October schedule with a 3-0 win over Argentina at Louisville's Lynn Family Stadium on Wednesday with a surprise brace from defender Naomi Girma playing a crucial role in their victory.

The hosts were a little slow to break down Argentina's low defensive block, but by the half-hour mark, the USWNT were fully in control. The go-ahead goal came a little while later courtesy of Girma, who scored her first international goal in the 37th minute with a header from close range. The USWNT were up 2-0 by the 44th goal when Aldana Cometti scored an own goal off a corner, a chance forced by Girma.

In the second half, Girma picked up from where she left off and completed her brace in the 49th minute. That goal also came off a header following a pass inside the penalty area from Alyssa Malonson, who notched an assist in her first cap – three days after Emma Sears did the same.

Malonson, alongside Mandy Haught and Eva Gaetino, was one of three players who earned their first cap on Wednesday, continuing the spirit of experimentation that has defined head coach Emma Hayes' approach this month. Hailie Mace and Ashley Sanchez, meanwhile, played their first international games in a year or more.

The result extends the USWNT's unbeaten run under Hayes to 15 games, which includes their gold medal-winning run at the Paris Olympics over the summer. The USWNT will have a chance to extend that run in a few weeks when they play at England on Nov. 30 and in the Netherlands on Dec. 3.

Set piece success

Girma's brace may come as a surprise, but what's even more shocking is that this is not the first time a center back scored twice in a game under Hayes – Tierna Davidson did the same in Hayes' first game in charge in June. Girma and Davidson got the job done on set pieces, an important source of goals that has served the U.S. well in the past and may serve a similarly important role in Hayes' time in charge.

Though Hayes kicked off her tenure with an attempt not to overwhelm the team with new ideas, she stressed in her early days on the job that she wanted set pieces to be an area of focus. The team worked with Gianni Vio, soccer's first set piece coach, during the Olympics and the work continues to pay off as Girma notched her brace.

Sanchez's big return

The focus of this month's game was offering chances to players who missed out on the Olympics, with a handful making the most of the chances offered to them. Ashley Sanchez joined their ranks on Wednesday, taking six of the USWNT's 18 shots and generating 0.31 expected goals on her own while the team mustered 1.39 expected goals as a group.

It's a strong comeback for Sanchez, who many would argue was an under-utilized member of the 2023 Women's World Cup team, but it is just one of several big moments for the player this year. It has been a year of adversity for Sanchez, who followed up the World Cup disappointment with a sudden trade from the Washington Spirit to the North Carolina Courage in the winter. She's clearly in the habit of taking the opportunities she's given – she has five goals and four assists in NWSL play this season and will no doubt play a big role in the Courage's upcoming playoff run.

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FT: USA 3, ARG 0

That's a wrap for the USWNT in October, who picked up three wins out of three and outscored the opposition nine to two. All in all, a very successful camp for Hayes -- she was able to begin exploring the team's depth, offering debuts to seven players and major returns to other players on the fringe. A handful of players really made a case for themselves, too, with Sanchez adding her name to the list today. It should make this period of exploration that's to come over the next few months very, very fascinating.

 
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Slower tempo

75' Things have slowed down a little bit in this game, but that's a very natural result after some substitutions and while boasting a 3-0 lead with 15 minutes on the clock. Still, the USWNT are going for goal, Sanchez responsible for one of the latest shots. She has six shots and 0.31 expected goals to her name so far, a pretty sizable chunk of the USWNT's 1.38 xG as a team. That's a strong comeback for Sanchez, who has barely been in the fold since the 2023 Women's World Cup and has made the most of her sudden trade to the North Carolina Courage at the start of the year.

 
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Two more USWNT changes

70' Hayes goes to the bench again, bringing in Krueger and Sams for Malonson and Gaetino. Not a bad outing at all for the outgoing pair, who now have their first caps in the book.

 
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USWNT fully in charge

62' It may have taken the USWNT a little bit of time to break down Argentina's low block, but the hosts have been frequently unlocking the opposition defense since about the half-hour mark. They're up to 15 shots today, Sanchez responsible for four of them.

Meanwhile, Hayes goes to the bench to make two changes -- Fox and Swanson are on for Mace and Horan.

 
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USA 3, ARG 0

49' The USWNT earn another set piece and Girma scores yet again, much to the delight of the crowd and the bench, who gesture for her to come over. Girma looks like she's in some disbelief -- she had no international goals before today, and now she has two.

 
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Back for the second half

47' Lavelle gets a couple more minutes in the second half, likely so she can be applauded by the crowd -- which includes Jack Harlow, Louisville native and investor in Racing Louisville and Louisville City FC -- for her 100th cap celebration. Albert is on in her place.

 
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HT: USA 2, ARG 0

It may have taken some time, but the USWNT eventually translated their dominance into a 2-0 goal lead at the break. The hosts have done well for themselves in the first 45 with 72% possession, nine shots and 0.99 expected goals, outpacing Argentina's three shots and 0.09 expected goals.

 
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USA 2, ARG 0

44' And just like that, it's 2-0 to the USWNT. The hosts have a corner and Lavelle swings an impressive ball into the box, which bounces off a couple of players before Cometti puts it in the back of her own net. Players generally don't get credited with assists on own goals, but Girma's touch forces an own goal so this marks an impressive offensive outing from the center back, who's usually known for her brilliance in the back.

 
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USA 1, ARG 0

37' The USWNT's pressure pays off with the game's first goal, courtesy of Naomi Girma. The USWNT earn yet another set piece and Girma benefits as the ball lands near her after a deflection, and she doesn't miss from close range. It's Girma's first international goal -- appropriate during a camp of firsts for the USWNT.

 
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Set pieces galore

25' The USWNT keep applying pressure in and around Argentina's penalty area, earning a bunch of set pieces in the process. They haven't exactly come good yet but they look threatening on a handful of those opportunities. Sanchez has a pair of shots as the USWNT looks for the opening goal of the game, while Malonson also has one on the board.

 
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Sustained USWNT pressure

16' The USWNT are starting to create some promising opportunities, the most notable of which came from Sears making a strong run but unable to connect with a ball that was too far in front of her. The USWNT also looked dangerous from a set piece, scoring a goal that was quickly waived off for offside.

 
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Argentina with the first shot

7' It's still early in this game but Argentina are the ones with a first shot, though it's a tame one -- Preininger's shot is easily captured by Haught in her first cap. The USWNT have naturally spent much of the early minutes dominating possession, though, and are hovering in and around the penalty area. No shots yet, but they had a corner.

 
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USA 0, ARG 0

The USWNT's final game of the October international break is officially underway in Louisville.

 
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Rose Lavelle's 100th cap

The teams are on the pitch but before kickoff, Rose Lavelle and her loved ones are on the field. Lavelle is celebrating her 100th cap today, which she earned in June. She's the third player to celebrate the milestone in three games -- Emily Sonnett and Mallory Swanson also passed the century mark recently.

Important note: Wilma Jean Wrinkles, Lavelle's beloved dog, has made it onto the pitch for the ceremony. It's unclear if she's the first dog to hit the pitch for a USWNT 100th cap ceremony.

 
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Storylines: Argentina 

Head coach Germán Portanova named 20 players to his roster this window. Many of them are up-and-coming talents for the program as they look ahead to the 2027 FIFA Women's World Cup. Four players on this roster have less than 20 appearances including three uncapped players. Seven players are under age 25 and four players are teenagers.

Four players have ties to the United States, with three still in college. Chiara Singarella plays for Purdue, and defenders Catalina Roggerone and Anela Nigito feature for CSU Bakersfield. Now in her junior year with the Boilermakers, Singarella began her collegiate career at Kennesaw State and then transferred to South Alabama where she was an All-Region selection.

Sophia Braun, who was born in Oregon and attended Gonzaga University, plays for Spokane Zephry in the newly-formed USL Super League. Braun, who scored for Argentina at the 2023 FIFA Women's World Cup, signed with the Kansas City Current in January of 2024 before going to Spokane on loan in July.

Both Braun and Roggerone are in the starting lineup tonight while others are available off the bench. 

 
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Storylines: USWNT

Hayes' 26-player roster, named for this October window, has largely been utilized. Some players earned their first senior-level starts and debuts, while Olympic gold medalists who are playoff-bound with their NWSL club teams were rotated throughout the games. The manager said in pregame availability that no player would exceed more than two 90-minute matches this window, and with one game remaining, the group seems on course to achieve that.

With the rotation of Haught, Gaetino, and Malonson, into tonight's starting lineup, every player that was called into the USWNT camp without a senior-level appearance will now exit with at least one official cap. Along with new faces, there have been some new tactics, and there's one more game to see the USWNT execute Hayes' three-back vision against a young Argentina side.

 
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Argentina's starting lineup

Here's how Argentina is lining up tonight! Head coach Germán Portanova named a 20-player roster for this fixture with lots of next-gen talents. They'll be led by defender Aldana Cometti, who is the most experienced player with 85 appearances. 

Argentina Starting XI: 1-Solana Pereyra; 2-Adriana Sachs, 3-Milagros Martin, 5-Vanina Preininger, 6-Aldana Cometti (Capt.), 9-Kishi Nuñez, 10-Dalila Ippólito, 13-Sophia Braun, 14-Catalina Roggerone, 15-Maricel Pereyra, 16-Sofia Dominguez

Available Subs: 12-Abigail Chaves, 4-Anela Nigito, 8-Margarita Gimenez, 11-Yamila Rodriguez, 17-Marianela Szymanowski, 18-Carolina Troncoso, 19-Agostina Holzheier, 20-Chiara Singarella

Head coach: Germán Portanova

 
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Three more USWNT debuts

Emma Hayes will give starts to three players who are no longer waiting for their first cap -- Mandy Haught, Eva Gaetino and Alyssa Malonson -- while Ashley Sanchez and Hailie Mace are in the lineup after a year-plus away from the team. Rose Lavelle is the captain to celebrate her 100th cap. Here's the lineup in full.

USWNT starting XI: Haught; Mace, Girma, Malonson, Gaetino, Hershfelt Horan, Lavelle (Capt.), Sanchez, Shaw Sears

 
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Starting Lineup prediction

The USWNT starting XI should drop any moment now, so let's have some fun with a little prediction. Hayes has already stated that Lavelle will get a start with her 100 cap celebration game on the schedule. She's also mentioned no other players with a club game on Friday will play, but I'll still hold hope for the recent call-in of Mandy Haught of Utah Royals FC. Here's who else I would like to see get the start tonight!

Sandra's USWNT XI wishlist: Mandy Haught; Alyssa Malonson, Emily Sams, Naomi Girma, Hailie Mace; Hal Hershfelt, Sam Coffey, Rose Lavelle; Jaedyn Shaw, Emma Sears, Alyssa Thompson

 
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Managing players' minutes

The USWNT will play their third game rather than two in a week today, making the calendar a bit more congested than usual. As a result, Emma Hayes will limit her team selection to players who don't have club games on Friday, when the Utah Royals face NJ/NY Gotham FC and the Portland Thorns host Angel City in NWSL play.

As a result it is unlikely that goalkeeper Mandy Haught, defenders Jenna Nighswonger and Emily Sonnett, midfielders Sam Coffey and Olivia Moultire, and forwards Yazmeen Ryan, Sophia Smith, Alyssa Thompson and Lynn Williams play a big role today. An exception is being made for Rose Lavelle to celebrate her 100th cap, though. Here's what Hayes said in yesterday's pre-match press conference.

  • Hayes: "I took the decision I presented to the head coaches in advance of this camp, saying that no player would play in more than two full games and no player that plays on Friday will play on a Wednesday. There's just one exception – that'll be Rose Lavelle because of her 100th cap ceremony. This was the game she chose and for that reason, she's starting but as much as all these players want to play a long time, I'll probably only play Rose for 45 minutes tomorrow just because I know how important and valuable she is for Gotham."
 
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Hello and welcome!

The USWNT return for one last game this month, with Emma Hayes continuing her experimental phase with tonight's game against Argentina. Expect some changes to the lineup since Hayes plans to manage players' minutes -- she said ahead of this month's friendlies that no one would play more than two full games. That could offer up not only chances for younger players, including the last two uncapped players on the roster Eva Gaetino and Alyssa Malonson, as well as some fresh tactical ideas as Hayes builds for the future.

Stick around as we build up to the game, and then provide live updates once the whistle blows.

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